Growing Forward 2 rolled out in Nova Scotia

May 29, 2013

Growing Forward 2 rolled out in Nova Scotia

Growing Forward 2, an agricultural policy framework between the federal, provincial and territorial governments was launched in Nova Scotia on Wednesday.

In a news release Minister Ritz said “Growing Forward 2 provides flexible, innovative programming for Nova Scotia's hardworking producers to ensure that they have the tools necessary to remain innovative, competitive, and to grow in new and existing markets." Minister Ritz was joined by Nova Scotia Minister of Agriculture John MacDonell, who praised his federal partners - noting that the funding will help strengthen the agri-food economy in the province.

Over a five-year period, Growing Forward 2 will invest $37 million into Nova Scotia’s agriculture industry focusing on – innovation, competitiveness and markets, and industry capacity.

Other highlights include:

•$2-billion for federal, provincial and strategic initiatives (over five years)
•50% increase in cost-shared related funding
•$1-billion for federal initiatives
•Business Risk Management (BRM) will continue to receive ongoing funding to serve as a tool to protect farmers against market volatility and disasters.

Video: Season 6, Episode 12: Veterinarians’ Perspectives on Managing Swine Herd Health Across All Phases

Identifying challenges in swine production and turning them into solutions through research and team development is the focus of this episode. Dr. Christine Mainquist-Whigham of Pillen Family Farms and DNA Genetics shares insights on herd health, biosecurity and trial work to improve pig performance. She also discusses her team’s research philosophy, how they evaluate rate of investment and how they gather feedback from employees to address challenges and maintain herd health across all phases of production. Dr. Carlos Roudergue of Country View Family Farms discusses the growing complexity of swine production, especially as technology increases and employee interaction decreases. He also shares how their workforce is shifting toward more specialized roles to support herd health and efficiency.